Ephesians 6:19-20 This week Pastor Ron continues his series, “Spiritual Warfare.” The Apostle Paul asked the believers to pray for him. Who are we to pray for? Do you spend time praying for your pastor? You should.

Ephesians 6:18b,c “With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit…“

This week Pastor Ron continues his series, “Spiritual Warfare,” and we examine what it means to pray at all times in the Spirit. Do you pray “at all times,”? Do you pray “in the Spirit,”? These are spiritual weapons God has given us to live a victorious Christian life.

Colossians 4:2-6 This week we are honored to have Brian Warne our missionary to Mexico bringing our message. Do you sometimes miss opportunities to share Christ with others? Brian helps us understand that we are to proclaim Christ to the lost world around us. This is not optional and it is for all of us who call ourselves Christians.

Please click on the link below to listen to this very inspiring message.

Ephesians 1:18a “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling,…”

The Apostle Paul prays in this section of scripture for believers. If you are a believer then you can insert your name. “I pray that the eyes of your heart, (insert name) may be enlightened…” He is praying to God that the eyes of our understanding will be open.

Paul has a reason that he wants our understanding to be open, and as we read on we will find out why. He says, “so that you (insert name) will knowwhat is the hope of His calling.” Now let’s look at these three words.

KNOW: This word as used in the Greek means something we know instinctively. In other words, we know that we know.

HOPE: As Pastor Ron Lewis has said, “This is a confident expectation of a future unseen reality.” This is the blessed hope we have that someday Christ will come back for His church, and that we will live with Him in heaven forever. Isn’t that wonderful?

HIS CALLING: God’s call on our lives took place before the creation of the world according to Ephesians 1:4. (NIV) “For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight…” This is almost too wonderful for me to think upon. But, God actually chose you and me to be his adopted children before he even created the world. This boggles my mind. I can only say, “Why me Lord?”

Paul wants you and me to know all of this because it gives us the assurance of our salvation. We know that we know that we are saved and are on our way to heaven. Satan will come after us and tell us all sorts of lies. He is the father of lies. But, knowing where we stand now and what awaits us in our future gives us the courage to resist the devil. When we know the truth then we can be overcomers of whatever comes our way.

I’m glad Paul prayed for us. Aren’t you? We should pray this prayer for other believers also.

I’ve taken these thoughts from a sermon my pastor preached last Sunday. If you’d like to hear this very encouraging message you can click on the link below.

When people participate in centering prayer they are actually taken into another state of consiousness. This is very dangerous and is the realm where demons can influence our minds. God has never told us to empty our minds while seeking Him. We are to meditate on the Word of God with our minds fully engaged.

These practices are mysticism and they are not what Christians should be involved in. I have listed below several sites that will give you more information to help you discern what is right and what might be wrong in your church. I pray that you will study the Word and not listen to people who try to make the church weak and unproductive. They are not working for the Lord that is for sure.

There is much going on in churches today that isn’t really Biblical and we have to be Bereans and search the scriptures to see if what we are being fed is correct. We must have discernment, and the only way we get that is by good Bible study.

Here is a very good article explaining why Lectio Divina and other mystical practices are dangerous.

Dear Heavenly Father, I come before you a poor soul who has been graciously saved by grace. Lord, I don’t know why you chose me, but I am forever grateful that you did. I certainly didn’t deserve anything at all.

You are a holy God and you are full of mercy and grace. Lord, I lift up to you all of those who read this prayer and ask that you open up their eyes of understanding to know that they are sinners because of their heritage in Adam and Eve. When they sinned in the garden, sin entered into the world and has been passed down from generation to generation.

Help the reader take a good look at themselves and be honest. Help them see that they are not capable of saving themselves but need a Savior. God, you sent your Son Jesus Christ to this earth in the form of man so we can identify with Him. Your precious Son took on all the sins of mankind when He went to the cross and died. He took on mine and He took on the sins of those who read this prayer. Oh, Lord, thank you that you made a way for us to be right before a holy God.

Jesus beat death when He rose from the grave three days after he was buried. He is ALIVE, in Heaven right now at your side. This shows us that we too can have the promise of a new life after death.

I pray that the reader will turn to you Lord. That they will bow their knee to you and allow you to be master over their life. Lord, please open their spiritual eyes so that they may see their desperate need.

Your Word tells us that this life is not the end of it all. When we die we will either go to heaven or hell depending on who we serve down here. Some will continue to serve themselves and will not respond to your Word. They will spend eternity in Hell. Your Word teaches that Hell is a real place and it is eternal torment. Lord, please, don’t let anyone who is reading this prayer go to Hell. I beg you Lord. Please help their unbelief right this minute.

There are others who believe they are Christians and on their way to Heaven, but have been deceived by false teaching. Lord, if anyone is reading this prayer falls into this category, please give them a nudge in their hearts to examine themselves to see if they are truly in the faith. It is not by good works that they will be saved, and it is not by being a nice person, joining a church, giving money or anything else man can do.

Lord you want us! You want our soul and you want our bodies for service. If there is someone out there who does all the right things in their mind, but does not love you God, does not love your Word, and does not love their fellow Christian brothers and sisters, then by you own Word, that person is not saved.

They need to be born again. Born anew, and become a new creation. That is what you do for us. And, it is wonderful that you actually adopt us into your family, God. You become our Heavenly Father, and we can call you Father. Once that happens then you take care of us. We don’t have to worry or fear anymore. We will have peace deep down inside knowing when we die we will go to Heaven. There is no uncertainty about it. We can be sure!

If there is someone reading this that is not sure, then Lord I pray you will touch their heart today and nudge them to get right with you. Open their eyes that they might see. Help that person to become one of your family members Lord. Help that person to make a fresh new committment to live the rest of their life for you and not for themself. Help them to allow you to be Lord and Master.

Oh, this is a beautiful time of the year when we celebrate the birth of Jesus. But, it is so much more. It is a time when we can take a look at ourselves and make sure we are on the right path for eternity. Jesus did so much more for us than we can even imagine, and Heaven awaits us with multitudes of blessings and things we can only dream of. What a day that will be when we meet him face to face!

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